Consequences
by Eienias20
Summary: What happened in that Ganglion Weapons Hangar when Kruse, Elma and Lin confronted the traitor? What could have happened if the circumstances were different?
1. Kruse's Words

_2/27/17_

 _It has been AGES! Lots of things have happened. Between losing motivation and becoming pretty obsessed with the Xenoblade Chronicles X discord as well as moving locations and dealing with realtor woes and house selling drama and family drama and bullshit and then my flash drive getting corrupted causing me to lose all my X Screenshots and the "hard copies" of my fan art and fan fiction...it's been nuts. So I did lose Skells & Love 12 "Mission" but luckily I'd only written a few thousand words and they didn't even get to the battle yet so...not too big of a loss. It just killed my motivation even more._

 _Anyway, I have been submitting fan art and some Discord related stories over on my tumblr but it's about time I got back to fic writing. This piece is a lil thing I've wanted to write for FOREVER. Basically, as the title implies it deals with chapter 11 of the game where...well. Y'know. The stupid shit happens._

 _This chapter specifically is the 'canon' version of the events of Chapter 11 as performed by my Cross: Kruse. So the game? Nope that did not happen, this happened instead. The following chapter is 'canon' to the lore of the Kruse & Jaynix fics. It doesn't affect much but it is what it is._

 _I have more to say but there are more ANs in the future so! Until then...I hope I stick around longer this time and don't vanish into the ether._

* * *

 **Kruse's Words**

It was in the silence of this moment that Kruse found himself…thinking.

He did that a lot.

He got carried away with it more than he cared to admit.

It almost always came down to someone, usually Elma, waving her hand in front of his face or asking if he was alright.

In this particular instance, he wasn't.

How did they get here?

How did this happen?

He stood now with Elma and Lin, facing the wrecked Prog Ares and the fallen traitor, Lao.

From the moment Kruse entered the hangar back in NLA and saw Lao taking the Prog Ares and all the data that they needed to find the Lifehold he'd been trying to understand what it was that was burning inside him. What it was he was feeling. What it was he was trying to comprehend.

They were all going to die.

Those were the thoughts of despair that flooded his mind when Lao escaped the Hangar with the information on where the Lifehold was and his goal was clearly to take it to the Ganglion.

He's hand it over to them.

The Ganglion would find the Lifehold.

They'd destroy it.

And everyone would die.

All for what?

What could have happened to Lao? What could've been done to him that he believes he's justified in wiping humanity from existence? How badly was he burned?

There had to be a reason why?

Kruse always saw Lao as far too laid back on the job. Lazy. Lacking drive. Whenever he came along for a mission, Kruse swallowed his spite and smiled.

For whatever reason, Lin was attached to him.

He bit his tongue for far too long.

When Elma presented the idea, the theory that Lao was a traitor…Kruse couldn't deny it…he felt that it was a possibility. Because of all things, Lao definitely never seemed to be in a hurry to find the Lifehold.

In fact, thinking back on it now.

He almost sounded relieved when they didn't find it.

He always jumped at any chance that a mission _might_ take them to it…so he could destroy it.

Why?

Why would a man wish for the end of his species?

Then came the words.

He stood with Lin and Elma, facing Lao and the Prog Ares as he ranted about why it is he decided to betray humanity, about why it is everyone deserved death.

And his reasons did nothing but anger Kruse.

His reasons…

…were nonexistent.

His reasons were just things he told himself to justify himself…to himself.

Filled with rage over Lao's petty agenda, Kruse threw himself at the Prog Ares with everything he had.

It was reckless anger, Elma did her best to cover Kruse during the battle but the Harrier was determined to rip Lao out of the Skell and beat him to death with his own fists.

The final strike rendered the experimental Skell, worthless and ejected Lao from it onto the floor.

Kruse had a lot that he wanted to say and even more that he wanted to do.

Any action he wanted to take was preemptively halted by Elma drawing her gun. He saw the resolve in her eyes. She was going to do it. He knew.

Her eyes very briefly moved to Kruse, not asking permission. She didn't need it. She just wanted to know what he thought.

Kruse returned her resolve with his own.

Any further action and Kruse's own inner thoughts were derailed when Lin placed herself between them and Lao. Asking Elma to put her gun down and spare Lao.

"Get out of the way, Lin!"

"No! I…I can't let you do this!"

"Lin!"

Her eyes moved to Kruse who was shaking his head.

"What are you doing? Why are you defending Lao? You know what he tried to do to us right? All of us, you included. He was going to get us all killed!"

Lin just stared at Kruse, her eyes moving to Elma then back to him. The two people she respected and fought alongside for the last few months were standing against her.

She felt her legs shaking but refused to back down.

"Can't you…at least understand why he did this? He was in pain! He doesn't…he doesn't deserve to die for this!"

Elma closed her eyes before speaking.

"Lin, everyone has suffered."

"Think about everyone we've helped, Lin."

The young girl looked at Kruse.

"Just think. How many of the people back in NLA lost members of their family. Their neighbors. Their loved ones. A majority of us just didn't make it off the Earth. They didn't make it to Mira. Almost everyone back in NLA has lost someone they cared about, some lost everyone but despite that they're still here trying to save what is left of us!"

Kruse let out a heavy sigh. "Irina. Gwin. Doug. Chausson. Nagi. Vandham…you. We've all lost people close to us…but we've pushed forward. None of us are using our trauma as an excuse for mass extinction!"

Elma opened her eyes, looking over to Kruse briefly before returning her gaze to Lin.

"Listen to him, Lin. Listen to us. Move. Please."

Despite everything, Lin stood in place. The only way she was being moved was if Kruse moved her himself. And truth be told. He was about to, when Lao spoke up.

"I'm not worth it."

Lin turned to the man who was now holding out the drive that contained the information on the Lifehold's location.

"Lin. To think you'd stand against both of them…for me…it…"

He shook his head as Lin took the drive from him.

"Thank you. Lao."

In unison Kruse and Elma let out heavy sighs, Elma putting her gun away and approaching.

Kruse could not hide the disgust in his face over the idea of letting Lao live and especially not over the idea of bringing him back to NLA to fix him up. But Elma had a point.

He needed to pay for what he's done. For all the lives lost because of him.

"Let's go. Who knows how much time we have before the Ganglion reach the Lifehold."

Kruse nodded to Elma.

"We'll make it. I know we will."

She smiled "We will."

She and Lin turned and began walking away.

"Of course you'd side with her…"

Kruse turned his attention back to Lao.

"Who could've seen that coming?"

He chuckled, shaking his head.

Kruse clenched his fists.

"Don't talk about her. Ever."

"Y'know…I could always tell that you never liked me…you didn't hide it well."

Kruse narrowed his eyes "What makes you think I wanted to hide it?"

Lao shrugged.

Kruse went to turn, but he couldn't leave it like this.

"Lao."

The man looked up at him.

"You are going to spend the rest of your life fixing this. You know that right? And you never will. You're actions have cause too many deaths. You shouldn't expect forgiveness and you definitely shouldn't see this as atonement. You don't get to."

"Hmph…we'll let everyone else in NLA decide what they think of me."

Kruse nodded "We will. But before then I want you to understand something, Lao. You're never laying eyes on Lin or Elma again. Ever. I'll make sure of it with everything that I have."

Lao raised an eyebrow "Oh? So you're going to watch over me?"

"No. I'll entrust Chausson, Vandham and Nagi with deciding what happens to you…because once I walk out of this Hangar, I never want to see your face again."

Lao remained silent as the pair stared at one another.

"You get to live Lao. That's the only mercy you'll ever get."

Taking a deep breath, Kruse turned and walked away.

There was a lot more he wanted to say. More feelings, thoughts and a lot of anger that he wanted to get out. He still wanted to punch the traitor as hard as he possibly could but…the words would have to be enough.


	2. Elma's Actions

_02/27/17_

 _So. I've got some other stories in the works. Ordinary Day and Phantom. Shorts taking place after Skells & Love but most likely coming out before since Skells & Love is at such an impasse. So if you're interested in what Jaynix and Alexa's relationship is like, you won't have to wait that long to find out. Ordinary Day is a one/twoshot. Depends. And Phantom is most likely going to be like Stay Sharp in terms of length._

 _The hardest part about this short little venture is Lao. For just about any reason you can imagine. I held onto this story simply because it'd break my rule of never mentioning Lao by name...but I wanted to write this and share it regardless. For everything, there is an exception._

 _Anyway...c_ _ontinuing on, here is another look at Chapter 11, but this time Elma is taking the reigns..._

 _Unlike "Kruse's Words" this chapter and the next one are non-canon 'What If' scenarios._

* * *

 **Elma's Actions**

" _I should've acted sooner…I could have prevented this…"_

Elma closed her eyes, thinking about what could happen next. The Ganglion. The Lifehold. Humanity. All because she didn't do everything in her power to prevent this outcome.

Seeing Lao taking the Prog Ares and the information on the Lifehold.

It was like being stabbed in the heart…and she was the one with the blade in her hand.

She knew. Deep down, she knew Lao had betrayed them yet she did nothing about it.

And in that moment, she thought of everything. Everything from the moment she decided to go to Earth on her own to this very moment, gun drawn and aimed at Lao.

Even if she shot him now, it wouldn't fix what was broken.

Despite all the time she spent on trying to save humanity, despite everything she's done, this one mistake could very well spell the end…for everything.

She was sad.

She was disappointed in herself.

But she was also angry.

Opening her eyes she stared at Lao and that anger burned with a fury she was unfamiliar with. This was beyond her anger towards Goetia. This was something new.

She'd seen other humans grow angry, she'd seen rage. Fury. Hate.

But to experience all of it at once and so intensely.

Killing Lao wouldn't fix this.

But she had the smallest inkling that maybe, just maybe…killing him would make her feel better.

Not even Lin getting in the way dulled the anger, and in that she felt desperation. She needed to get to Lao and she'd do it no matter what.

Then Kruse spoke, he was trying his best to convince Lin to stand aside.

She cast a small glance at him, she did the same a few moments prior to see what he'd think of her shooting Lao. His expression told her a lot of things but they all led to the same point: do it.

She listened to Kruse's words and she saw the change in Lin's face as she heard them as well.

Lao wasn't the exception. There were other humans and BLADEs who turned to crime or killing but none of them ever fell far enough to consider wiping out humanity. What would it accomplish?

" _How did he find out about…me? About what's really in the Lifehold?"_

She wanted to know but then she recalled Lao's words.

"You'd never understand."

She'd spent decades with humanity, watching countless people band together to survive as best they could. Fighting alongside them. Laughing with them.

Early on she felt like an outsider…but as more of them accepted her as a friend, she felt more and more at home. The ones who knew of her true nature, it was a pitifully small number but the ones that did, loved her or respected her. She didn't want them to think that they owed her anything for saving them, for helping them…but a lot of them did, to the very end.

All the years spent with humanity, she grew so comfortable. It was her new home.

But Lao saying those few words threw doubt on everything.

She wasn't human.

So she was incapable of understanding him.

Of understanding any of them.

She looked from Lin to Kruse.

Did she ever really understand them?

Her gun shook for a few moments.

Tightening her grip, she clenched her teeth and thought about all the nights spent with Lin, trying to cook or fixing machines.

Or all the nights filing reports with Kruse, all the sparring and confiding in each other.

She understood Lin. She understood Kruse.

She loved them.

She loved humanity.

Lao was wrong.

"Last chance, Lin. Move."

She could see it in Kruse's posture, he was going to move. He was going to do something.

Before he could, Lao called them all to stop and gave Lin the Lifehold data.

Elma let out a long breath that she felt like she'd been holding in for the last ten minutes…

Then she heard Lin say something.

"What? Bring him back to NLA? We can't do that."

Lin looked at Elma.

"What? But he-"

She gestured at the drive in her hands.

"That doesn't excuse what he's done, Lin. People are dead. He got his own team killed. He tried to kill us. Everyone."

"Elma-"

She looked from Lin to Kruse, she could tell he had her back. He always did.

"Kruse. Take Lin outside. Wait for me. I'll be along shortly."

Kruse nodded and placed a hand on Lin's shoulder.

"Kruse…what…is she-"

"They're just going to have a talk."

Lin looked down, Elma could see that the girl didn't believe that for one moment.

Even so, she walked out of the Hangar with Kruse, Elma watching them ascend the Elevator before turning her attention to Lao.

"You know what I am. Is that why you said what you did?"

Lao nodded before asking.

"Do you deny it?"

"Do I deny it…?"

Elma thought for a few moments. Taking a deep breath.

"Despite what you believe...I do understand humanity…at the very least, as a whole. The main thing I've realized over my years with your people is that you are all incredibly unique. There is a story to every single one of you. It's…amazing."

Elma sighed. "I came to Earth to save you all. If not for me, you'd be nothing. It's the truth of the matter."

"And we'd be better off for it."

Elma shook her head "No one is better off dead."

Lao narrowed his eyes "Is that you talking? Or Kruse?"

"It's the truth. As long as you draw breath you can do something. Once you're dead…that's it. How would anything be better if I'd let humanity cease to exist? Mass extinction?"

Lao sighed "Were you even listening to me? We're already gone. What we are now…we aren't living. It's suspended death. If you had stood away and not interfered, we would've met the end that providence dictated. There was no way humanity would've survived the Ganglion. We shouldn't have."

"Providence?"

Elma crossed her arms "One of the other things I picked up from humanity almost immediately is your desire to rebel against providence. Against fate. Humans do not allow themselves to be shackled by invisible forces. They act and take a hold of their own destiny."

Elma sighed "It's…it's what I did when I decided to go to Earth and save you all…it was the first time I ever even considered doing anything like that…"

Elma looked down at the gun in her hand.

"If I decided that an entire species wasn't worth my time, the Ganglion would've wiped you out. How is that better?"

"Because then I'd be with my family instead of in this purgatory. You took them from me!"

Elma turned away, thinking back to the moment she decided to act.

"The saddest part about all of this…has to be that it didn't have to happen. I didn't have to go to Earth. You didn't have to leave it. The Ganglion. The Ghosts. They didn't have to go there."

Sighing she faced Lao again "The level of technology I saw when I arrived on Earth…compared to what is out there…it was primitive. Given what you had as a people and where you could go from there…you would never have come anywhere near the Ganglion in who knows how long. Centuries possibly. They were at no threat from you…but an old edict and one paranoid fool…"

She shook her head as Lao spoke up.

"And? Telling me this changes nothing…"

"I know. Lao. You have to understand. I spent decades with humans. I gave you the tools to save yourselves and you did it. Not everyone of course but I did the best I could on my own and humanity did the best that it could as well. I sacrificed everything…but I'd do it all again."

Elma closed her eyes.

"One human. One human set in his or her way could do almost anything…or undo almost anything. I can't allow that. Not again. I can't risk it."

Opening her eyes she faced Lao "I won't."

* * *

"Kruse…you…you meant what you said?"

Looking to Lin, he nodded.

"Yes. Lao…he's not worth any of this, Lin. He never was…"

"You never spoke about him that way before…"

Kruse sighed "I held it in…because of the way you looked at him. I couldn't understand. I didn't see what you saw in him…perhaps I should've said something sooner. Despite everything…you're still a child, Lin."

The pair fell silent, in all their time together they'd never stood this far apart from the other. Lin wasn't even looking at him.

"I may be a child…but I know that they aren't just talking…"

Kruse looked back at the Ganglion base.

Cauldros was dead silent around the pair.

Looking to Lin he prepared to say something as a single shot seemed to echo throughout the entire region.


	3. Jaynix's Rage

_02/27/17_

 _What do you think of my new story covers? Those are headshots of Kruse and Jaynix redrawn by me. One for Kruse centered stories, one for Jaynix and one for when they share the spotlight._

 _I wanted to get this whole little story out today since it's so small. No real need to space it out across the week, that's what Phantom is for._

 _Anyway, do you know of the Tyrant AU? In this AU your Cross does something or something happens to them that results in them being classified by BLADE as a Tyrant, thus missions are handed out to BLADEs to find and hunt them down. I've come up with some small characteristics and a little bit of backstory for Tyrant Jaynix. Might write a short story about it in the future who knows. BUT if you're interested I've also given her a theme, look up Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth Eater Theme. Is a good one._

 _That aside this is even more "What If" than the Elma chapter. Since canonically, Jaynix wasn't even there for the Lifehold Incident but what say we take a peek into this Alternate Universe and see what goes down?_

* * *

 **Jaynix's Rage**

Jaynix has known for a long time that she was unstable.

Her emotions could be thrown into disarray far too easily and her mental state…the less said of it the better.

Even so, she knew from day one that something was off about Lao.

She was military all her life, she'd been around brothers, sisters and the closest of comrades. She knew how tightly knit teams worked, how they acted.

Despite Elma's claims and the claims of several other Pathfinders, Lao did not strike her as a team player at all. People respected him for what he did in the past and for what he was on Earth…but on Mira? He was as standard a BLADE as they came.

The most remarkable thing about him was his shooting mastery, Master Sniper indeed. But beyond that? Eh.

Following the threat of a leak, a traitor and Elma's suspicions, it all finally came to a head in the Restricted Hangar, home to one of the most powerful Skells ever designed: The Prog Ares.

Lao stood atop of it with the drive containing the information on the Lifehold's location in his hands, mocking everyone for allowing him to take both with such little effort and exclaiming about how he intended to fix humanity's biggest mistake: surviving.

Doug pulled his gun on Lao but was told to back off, Lao had the drive. A stray bullet could cause them to lose everything they'd been working towards.

Jaynix had never experienced the mass of emotions within her at this very moment.

She couldn't even see the Prog Ares, instead all that was in her field of vision was Lao.

She was not going to let him leave this Hangar.

Drawing her gun she fired at his arm that was leaning on the Prog Ares, she could barely make out shock on the traitor's face.

She heard scatterings of people calling her name but ignored them as she blasted both of his kneecaps.

The man fell from the Prog Ares onto the floor.

His still functioning arm went for the weapon on his back, Jaynix shot at it as well.

Limbs disabled she bent down and searched his body.

With the drive in her hands, she smirked.

Standing she turned to the rest of the BLADEs in the Hangar.

She stared at them, all wearing different expressions of shock.

"…what?"

"Don't 'what' us missy! What the hell were you thinking?"

Jaynix looked at Vandham who was red in the face

"What if you damaged the Drive with your loose cannon approach!? What then?"

"What then? By the looks of it, you lot were going to let him escape and kill us all. I made sure that didn't happen!"

Vandham shook his head as Jaynix approached Elma, placing the drive in her hands.

"I know there are other people in this Hangar who would've done what I did but you were all held back by personal attachments. You still saw the best in him."

She turned to the body briefly, narrowing her eyes.

"I never did."

Vandham prepared to say something else only for Elma to hold one of her hands up.

"We have the drive. All that matters now is finding the Lifehold."

Vandham let out a heavy sigh.

"Fine. Follow me, let's hope that damn thing wasn't hit by any shrapnel."

Jaynix stood in place as Elma turned to her.

She held Elma's opinion of her above everyone else's. She could do with every single BLADE in NLA hating her, but not Elma.

The woman nodded to her, and there was a small glint in her eyes.

Gratitude.

Deep gratitude.

As if in doing this, Elma felt indebted to her.

Jaynix waved it off, no one owed her a thing.

"How could you do that so…effortlessly?"

Jaynix turned to Gwin "Hm?"

"I think he means, how could you shoot a fellow BLADE and not even seem bothered by it."

Jaynix's eyes moved to Irina, then to Doug who was standing behind them and finally Lin, who was silent and still.

"Simple. He wasn't a fellow BLADE."

Turning, she walked away.

"He was a traitor."


End file.
